'Digitalization contributing to exponential growth of customs revenue'

A REPORTER

SHILLONG, Jan 27: Retired Indian Revenue Service officer DD Ingty today pointed out that customs revenue is witnessing an exponential growth party due to the digitization of customs at an Intertiol Customs Day programme held in the city. Speaking as Chief Guest Ingty said, “98 per cent of entries are cleared digitally which does not take much time whereas things were different before the advent of digitization where there are now over 134 electronic powered custom houses where revenue is collected digitally.”

He said that 99 per cent of Meghalaya borders are with foreign countries and he observed that the presence of border haats is irrelevant, where goods are going from North East to Kolkata, Mumbai etc.

Ingty said, “North East needs a change, to have a highway routed into the rest of the Asian countries, there is nothing to be proud of border haats where the thrust area is not being given prominence. What is our think-tank in the North East doing?”

Sharing anecdotes from his experience of staying abroad he said that trucks in America go over to Cada, Venezuela or Chile and he said, “Trucks here are not even allowed to cross the border.” In this connection, he urged the Customs fraternity to take initiative to make their presence felt as Guardians of Economic Frontiers of the country.  “We may not defend the country’s security but we defend the economic security of the country,” Ingty said.